The Effect of Mold Temperature on the Performance of Injection Molded Poly(lactic acid)‐Based Bioplastic

Abstract

AbstractThis research investigates the effects of processing parameters, namely molding temperature on the mechanical performance of impact‐modified poly(lactic acid) (PLA). Polymer crystallization dictates many of the final properties of the material. Increasing the mold temperature, crystallization may progress to a further stage, increasing crystallinity. Molding at a lower temperature, and producing a highly amorphous polymer can increase the mechanical properties, namely elongation and impact strength. Molding at 30 versus 90 °C improved the elongation from 22 to 243% and the impact strength from 67 to 133 J · m−1. This improvement is not without its drawbacks. By molding at 30 °C, the polymer becomes very amorphous, and thus is more susceptible to unwanted processes such as physical aging. magnified image